Review: ADAM PASCAL rocks out at 54 Below

After two long years, Adam Pascal returned to 54 Below for a knockout solo show. The show opened at 7 pm on Wednesday, August 30th, and Pascal brought the house down.

Pascal structured the show around his entry into the world of Broadway via RENT, and then his grudging acceptance and eventual appreciation for his status as a Broadway celebrity. As associated as he has become with Broadway, after originating the role of Roger, rock was his first love, and he was a bit miffed, at first, that the fame RENT brought him didn’t come with record deals for his original music. He told the story of the time, years ago, when he, essentially, got booed offstage at a senior center in Florida after he had prepared a night of his own music for a crowd expecting only to hear show tunes.

Although rock was Pascal’s original love, he’s taken on an appreciation for Broadway that was clear in his performance at 54 Below. It’s been over 25 years since RENT (somewhat accidentally) put him on a path toward musical theater, and in the years that followed, he’s perfected the balance between his rock ethos and the show tunes he’s become known for.

The result is a wonderful tightrope between rock and Broadway. Pascal accompanied himself on guitar, with piano, on some songs, by the show’s music director Shane Parus. Pascal did a mix of classic rock songs, Broadway classics arranged as if they were indie rock songs, and even one of his excellent recent original songs. Pascal did a few rock songs he used to audition for Broadway roles, and some of his favorite songs from shows he’s done throughout his career. It’s not often you get to see someone with a true rocker’s spirit do an evening of Broadway, and though he did many well-familiar songs, his performances felt truly unique. He did a rendition of “I Don’t Care Much,” an homage to his turn as the Emcee in Cabaret on Broadway in 2003, that sounded hauntingly lovely on guitar. That's not to knock his renditions of pure rock songs, which were also outstanding, including the one original that he performed, which he wrote for his girlfriend (lucky woman!).

Tying it all together, Pascal told a handful of funny anecdotes about his time in the theater, including the night Elton John walked out on his performance during a preview of Aida, and the story of how Idina Menzel had to beg him to go to a callback to audition for RENT. Pascal is so naturally charismatic and funny (in addition to being a gifted songwriter and performer) he was truly a joy to watch. It's hard to imagine any audience booing him, even a retirement community. That story does have a happy ending, though – it's been years since that incident happened, and guess what? They've finally invited him back.

If you missed this one, don’t worry - Pascal is returning to 54 Below soon for a joint show with RENT co-star Anthony Rapp. That show will run January 9 to 20, 2024, and tickets are available at 54 Below’s website HERE.

For more information on Adam Pascal, you can follow him on Instagram at @AdamPascal or on Facebook.

For more information on 54 Below you can visit their website, and follow them on Twitter or Instagram at @54Below.

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